Irvine has been long known for its idyllic parks spanning nearly 30% of the city’s land, but a recent housing development proposal on a golf course is raising questions over just how protected the city’s open spaces can be.
Earlier this year, officials debated a proposed development at the Oak Creek Golf Course, which saw questions over just how protected that land is under a 1988 ballot measure.
Now, Irvine City Council members are slated to consider four different ballot measures about open space preservation at Tuesday night’s meeting — including the future of the Oak Creek Golf Club and whether or not it can be replaced with housing.
The staff report for the Aug. 11 city council meeting lays out four ballot measure options that could increase some open space protections, but could also clear the way for the Irvine Company to replace Oak Creek Golf Club with 3,100 housing units.
The ballot measures largely circle two main issues: ensuring open space in Irvine can’t be developed in the future without voter approval and whether or not residents give their permission to allow development at the golf course.
The council is expected to discuss which ballot measure — or which combination — presents those options in the best way at Tuesday’s 5 p.m. meeting.
Oak Creek Golf Course Protected As Open Space
Over the past few months, the city council and the Irvine Company have discussed initial steps about what could become the city’s final residential village, known as Oak Park.
The Irvine Company’s preliminary proposal includes 3,100 housing units, a new school, parks and other community spaces at the golf course site.
As part of the proposed project, the Irvine Company would also give the city 315 acres of permanent open space in the Orchard Hills and Portola Springs villages in return for developing the golf course.
But those early plans hit a roadblock when Irvine residents started ringing alarm bells that the proposal violates the golf course’s preservation as permanent open space, a designation passed by voters in 1988 through an effort known as Initiative Resolution 88-1.
That resolution outlines locations in town deemed “conservation/open space” and includes the golf course as one of these areas.
[Read: Irvine’s Oak Creek Golf Club Could Become Housing, Does it Go Against a Voter Initiative?]
Irvine is ranked number two in the country for park access, according to the Trust for Public Lands — a nonprofit park advocacy group.
The group found that 28% of the city’s land is dedicated to park space and that 96% of residents live within a 10-minute walk to a park.
When the proposal was brought forward, residents argued that the Irvine Company couldn’t build there unless voters gave permission to remove the preservation designation through another ballot measure.
Irvine City Council members, including Mayor Larry Agran — who was also mayor in 1988 — agreed.
Four Different Ballot Options
City Attorney Jeff Melching presented the first option at the council’s July 22 meeting.
That measure would require voter approval to build non-open space developments in any of the city’s open space areas. It would also expand the city’s stock of protected open space to include new lands acquired since 1988 that aren’t included in that resolution.
But it would also give an exception to the Oak Greek Golf Club, effectively allowing residential development there as long as the Irvine Company gives the city 315 acres of open space in a different part of the city.
This option was largely critiqued by residents at the July 22 meeting, with many people requesting that the open space preservation issue and the golf course development issue be separated into two different ballot measures.
“That was so difficult to sit through — the worst bait and switch I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” said Joanne Slobodien, a representative of the Save Irvine Open Space group, at the July meeting. “You’re moving ahead with a ballot measure that appears to protect open space but intentionally excludes Oak Creek, the only land currently at risk.”
It was also questioned by council members.
“Even though I very much want this development to happen, and will support it as much as I can, I cannot in good conscience do that by potentially misleading the voters,” Councilmember Kathleen Treseder said at the July 22 meeting.
[Read: Irvine to Consider Options For Open Space Preservation Ballot Measure]
The next two options bifurcate the issue into a pair of ballot measures.
One focuses just on voter protection. This ballot measure would require voter approval before parks or open spaces can be developed for other uses, and it does not address the Oak Creek Golf Club. This measure would also expand the city’s stock of protected open space to include new lands acquired since 1988.
The next measure only focuses on Oak Creek; this one would allow for development at the golf course as long as the Irvine Company provides compensating open space in return.
The fourth option was developed in collaboration with Mike LeBlanc, a former executive at the Irvine Company who has been working with the Save Irvine Open Space group, which has been advocating against any development at the golf course.
This last option would directly change the land use designation at the golf course from preservation to residential, explicitly allowing development at the site.
However, City Attorney Melching said this option would require a completed environmental review before it could appear in front of voters, which wouldn’t get done in time for the tentative special election date in November.
Staff has identified Nov. 18 as the most appropriate date to hold the special election, if approved by the council. It’s expected to cost approximately $2 million, according to estimations from the Orange County Registrar of Voters included in the agenda report.
At the same time, city staff are in the process of evaluating the Irvine Company’s proposed project, including environmental analysis, which is expected to last about 12 to 18 months.
Angelina Hicks is the Voice of OC Collegiate News Service Editor. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13.